Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
PC Gamer
PC Gamer
Harvey Randall

World of Warcraft might not have invented the wheel, but it certainly made it popular—and 20 years on, the MMO titan has fundamentally changed gaming's DNA

WoW World of Warcraft Blizzard EverQuest
Anduin Wrynn smiles, almost nostalgically, at something off-screen in World of Warcraft: The War Within.

World of Warcraft's turning 20 years old soon, which means it's just one year away from being able to drink in the US, and two years into getting sloshed at the student union in the UK. Unlike me at that age, however, it's actually accomplished a ton. It was the first MMO to really achieve mainstream success and stay rooted there—becoming an engine of popular culture, rather than an occult activity practised in the shadows.

One thing I think it's easy to take for granted is how many mechanics WoW popularised that have, for good and for ill, become standard practice in PC gaming. Our DNA is flooded with World of Warcraft, and almost every modern title has a little bit of its scattered genetic codestuff inside.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Smokers have a lower risk of Parkinson’s – we may have found out why
Smoking is one of the biggest causes of ill health and early death. Yet smokers seem to have a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease than non-smokers – by around half according to some studies.
The Conversation
The Conversation
NY Woman finds stolen Tamayo painting in trash; Sotheby’s sells it for $1.049 million
In 2003, Elizabeth Gibson found a brightly coloured painting in the rubbish on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. She later discovered it was Rufino Tamayo’s 1970 work “Tres Personajes”, stolen from a Houston couple in 1987. Sotheby’s planned to auction it for up to $1 million.
The Times of India
The Times of India
Jaden Newman Leaked Video Controversy: Viral Post Claims LaMelo Ball Paid Her $250K for One Encounter
A viral post claimed LaMelo Ball paid Jaden Newman $250,000 after seeing a private video, but no reliable evidence supports the alleged payment, encounter or quote.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
His Wife Says Decades of Sleep Talking Nearly Went Quiet After Hypnosis Gave Her a One-Word Cue
A man's decades-long sleep talking faded after hypnosis gave his wife a librarian's "Shhhh" as a cue, a case report says. Here's what it shows.
Medical Daily
Medical Daily
A Woman Smoked, Ate, and Walked in Her Sleep, and the Behaviors Returned Every Time Her Medication Stopped
A woman sleepwalked, ate, and smoked during sleep. A 2022 case report found that one bedtime drug quieted all three until it was stopped.
Medical Daily
Medical Daily
Have an Elmo Teether in the Freezer? Check It Before Giving It Back to Baby
That familiar red Elmo face sitting in your freezer may deserve a closer look before it goes back into your baby’s hands. A Skip Hop Baby “Sesame Street” Elmo Silicone Teether has been recalled because its black eye pieces can detach if the product is frozen, creating a choking hazard.…
Kids Ain't Cheap
Kids Ain't Cheap
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play